Another chance to see supermoon this week

Diane King

Stargazers who missed November’s supermoon will be pleased to hear that there’s another one due on Wednesday.

Last month’s event was a disappointment for many with cloud obscuring the best view of our satellite for another 18 years.

However, on December 14, just after midnight, the final supermoon of the year could make up for that, when the moon will appear bigger in the sky due being full on the perigee – that’s when the orbit of the moon is closest to Earth.

The apparent size change is thanks to its orbit being elliptical rather than circular, which can give the impression that the moon is more than 10 per cent bigger and as much as 30 per cent brighter.

And there’s more - although it may not work out quite as planned. The Geminid meteor shower is due to take place at the same time as the supermoon.

The meteor shower - which can deliver as much as 120 meteors per hour - has been active over the past week, but will hit its peak on December 13 and 14.

However, it’s possible that the supermoon will make it harder to see the meteor shower, as the extra-bright moonlight will reduce their brightness to 10 per cent of their usual brilliance.